Cappadocia Region and Its Traditional Dairy Products

Abstract

Cappadocia region, located within the borders of Turkey, is one of the places where nature and history come together with most beautiful in the world. Today’s Cappadocia Region includes Nevşehir, Aksaray, Niğde, Kayseri and Kırşehir Provinces. Göreme National Park and Cappadocia, which entered the World Heritage List in 1985, became the focus of interest for tourists due to its geological structure and local architectural features. In addition to its historical and natural beauties, various traditional dairy products are produced in Cappadocia Region. Many dairy products are produced such as Çömlek cheese, Circassian cheese, Gödelek cheese, Goat cheese, Sheep cheese, Kurut cheese, Dorak yogurt, Gömürgen yogurt. Forming of the soil and then cooking and obtaining permanent forms, the pottery production has been carried out in the Cappadocia region of Avanos for many years. In addition to cultural dishes made of pottery, traditional dairy products such as Çömlek (pottery) cheese are also obtained. Besides, the traditional cheese coagulant used in the production of Çömlek cheese whose name changes according to the region is also obtained by the locals in the region. In this study, information about Cappadocia Region was given and research was carried out on traditional dairy products in Cappadocia region and in addition to research articles about some dairy products, information was collected by interview.